Scottish Government Considering Banning Cats from Certain Areas of Scotland
In the News
I am a dog owner although i did have cats many years ago through let's say 'inheritance'
But i think that the SNP banning cats from certain areas and housing estates and having to keep them indoors is a bit much
I doubt cat owners would be happy about this, and i can see a lot of SNP supporters defecting if it went ahead
As a cat owner what is your opinion on this ?
www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/snp-ministers-consider-ban-cats-34598657

Well fact is cats are natural hunters so need to be outside and that's why I would never own a cat because I would be worried when it's out and if it did come home

Leannexxx Yes you are right L, it is cruel to keep a cat indoors as you are going against nature , its like keeping an animal in a zoo, its not natural
You might get some cats that are kept indoors though because of where they live, on or near a busy road for instance , that's understandable , then they would need to be walked like dogs are
, otherwise it could damage them mentally

In my house there is only me and one cat and I love him to bits and he is good company. He keeps me sane despite being very annoying at times. I guess they are children substitutes for many. I don't know what the environmental impact of a cat is but its probably 1/1000 of that of a human being. Surely the most important thing for the environment is to decrease the number of people so benefits etc should be to encourage less children and maybe considering pets as a more environmentally friendly alternative. People have had cats as pets for 100s of years but now they are claiming there is a shortage of birds because of cats but of course that is not true, there is a shortage of birds because of a shortage of insects due to intensive farming using pesticides and other processes that protect against insects, so less food for birds basically. Through my whole life I've probably lived with about 30 different cats and only 3 of them I think were successful at hunting birds which they occasionally caught. One of the cats was frightened of birds and would get bullied by them and run inside, another was bright white and truly useless at hunting due to his colouring except when there was snow.
Lets not forget cats were often bought into the home to hunt mice and rats and probably all of us today are alive due to cats. They have prevented the spread of diseases in the past which would have wiped out a significant portion of people over the decades. It is unlikely any of us would not have benefitted from past relatives who stayed alive thanks to cats. The benefit of cats massively surpasses that of dogs. In fact dogs kill thousands of people a year across the world yet cats don't. Obviously they are typically much smaller so don't have that capacity but still it makes them a much safer pet. Cats constantly clean themselves and their saliva kills many viruses and bacteria.

BonzoBanana “The benefit of cats massively surpasses that of dogs”!??….what utter tripe!!
Yes cats are great pets, that can give comfort and support to many people. And yes they CAN BE less dangerous than dogs. But even though they are generally very clean, their waste can cause serious harm to pregnant women and their unborn children. They also have a tendency to roam and crap on people’s gardens, and also leave dead mice and birds on people’s doorsteps.
Dogs are a completely different story. Most dog attacks are the fault of people, whether it’s from poor ownership and abuse, or people approaching dogs when they shouldn’t. Dogs make much better companions, as they are more intelligent and interact with humans more. They can also protect people’s homes and families, making vulnerable people feel safer. And let’s not forget all the Service dogs in the world!….whether they are Guide Dogs for the Blind, Dogs in the Armed Forces, or Police Dogs who put themselves before their human officers, can assist the apprehension of criminals, and often don’t get the appreciation for it. They are also excellent at detecting drugs, blood and cadaver traces to help prevent or solve crimes.
And no I’m not just biased against Cats….I have three cats and three dogs in my home and they are all loved and appreciated by me and my family.

Fatabelly You seem to be completely ignoring the benefit of cats killing vermin like mice and rats which is historically their main benefit which has shaped humanity hugely. Cat saliva does kill many viruses and bacteria.
Both dog and cat faeces can contain parasites so not sure why you have focused purely on cats for that, seems a completely biased and unfair opinion but then you started your opinion with the comment 'utter tripe' which is extremely childish comment to say the least. Cats have effected the lifes of 100s of millions of people by protecting against plagues or massively reducing the number of people infected. Saying most dog attacks are the fault of people seems a opinion easily proved to be completely false and not a rational opinion at all. In many countries people are attacked and killed by wild dogs or rabid dogs etc.
Parasites
Toxocara: A worm that can be found in the feces of cats, dogs, and foxes. It can cause toxocariasis, which can be contracted by ingesting soil or sand contaminated with the worm eggs.
Hookworms, roundworms, whipworm, giardia, and coccidia: These parasites can infect dogs, cats, and other animals.
Toxoplasma gondii: A parasite that can be found in the feces of cats. Pregnant women who are exposed to cat feces that contain the parasite are more likely to become infected.
Viruses
Parvovirus, distemper virus, and canine coronavirus: These viruses can infect dogs and cats, and can be life-threatening. They can also infect other animals, including wildlife.
Bacteria
Dog poop can contain twice as much harmful bacteria as human poop.
How to protect yourself
Dispose of cat and dog excrement in a secure bag.
Avoid contact with contaminated soil, water, or other surfaces.
Vaccinate your pets to protect them from disease.

BonzoBanana And you seem to conveniently ignore the multitude of benefits of dogs! Their loyalty and service to the human race is unbeatable!
But hey at least you noted down the extra dangers of Toxoplasmosis from cat faeces….And no it’s not biased, it’s just so damn dangerous to humans, especially pregnant women!
But like I said before, I have both Cats and Dogs in my family and they are all loved, so no not biased whatsoever!

Fatabelly I'm not ignoring the benefits about dogs at all this just happens to be a thread about cats so obviously it wouldn't make much sense to start writing about dogs when you are trying to state benefits of cats and why this potential Scotland policy is wrong.

BonzoBanana I totally agree that the potential policy in Scotland is wrong. It’s just another example of the government trying to control people and what they do.
But you’ll find that you were the first one who brought dogs into the equation! It was your opinion on their inferiority to Cats.

Fatabelly I'm in no way saying dogs are inferior to cats purely that people often don't understand the huge benefits of centuries of rat and mice removal and the huge reduction in disease this has caused which has meant many people have lived longer lives and shaped human society by allowing more of the human population to live longer lives and lives without disease. What benefit is it to Scotland to have huge increases in mice and rat populations. I honestly think if Scotland went ahead with this and it wasn't just ignored there would be pretty much no increase in bird numbers but a huge increase in mice and rats. Birds are generally incredibly difficult to catch although saying that some cats are determined.

BonzoBanana there’s no doubt that any control of vermin from cats is a huge benefit. But unlike most people I think that birds are also vermin, especially the likes of pigeons. And I certainly don’t want any more of them in the country.

Here's Phoenix, he loves to snuggle UNDER our duvet,loves an hot water bottle or to sit by our radiator in the lounge.
We wouldn't be without our little black cat or his naughty Torti sister Topaz, they are our babies...

janphoenix51 Cats make the home I think, they just bring the house alive. I'm a bit like Patrick Moore was in my devotion to cats. I don't really understand why the SNP are focused on such a policy it seems madness to even think about this when there are huge problems that need addressing. It's the same in the house of commons where politicians focus on trivial problems when there are major problems that should be the priority. 99.9% of politicians time should be returning the economy to a trading surplus and reducing debt. They just seem to be out of touch with reality.

Daft idea that will never work, cats have their own free will , go where they want when they want. I would never consider keeping a cat confined indoors. My cat would disappear for days on end I have no idea where he went or what he got up to , he would turn back up when he was ready eat , sleep, be fussed over for a few days and then off he went again.

My main question would be is how are they gonna control this? What happens if a cat is in ‘said area’ etc

My cat has a door key lol.Try telling it that it can't wander exactly where it pleases and you will have another war on your hands.

Is the SNP still a thing, they were completely incompetent, absolutely smashed at the general election, this is the most stupid idea ever....

My neighbour has 3 cats all who use my garden as a toilet which is costing me money I can ill afford as a pensioner and also having to keep it clean as I have grandchildren who have stepped in the poo when helping me in the garden they should either be kept indoors or trained to a litter box to avoid causing others a problem

NO THEY are NOT!
That's Fake News!
John Swinney First Minister of Scotland has told the Media that they Are Not banning Cats or anything like that.

jimmyD As in the title of the post they are 'considering' the idea J
At the end of the article it says, quote
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "We recommend that all cat owners should consider microchipping their pets, and ensuring the information held on them is kept up to date, as the best way of being reunited should they become lost or separated. We will fully consider the recommendations of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission."
They have backed off from the idea when they realised the backlash there would be
This is the headline in the guardian
Exasperated Swinney forced to deny he plans to ban cat ownership in Scotland

telmel The First Minister of Scotland John Swinney has Given a Press Conference and said that they have NO INTENTION of banning Cats!
The Report is going to be looking at ways to protect our bird population and the Native Wild Cats of Scotland with measures to stop domestic cats from interbreeding with the pure stock.
Getting a domestic cat chipped is in the best interests of both the cat and it's owners so if it's lost it will be reunited with them.
NO CATS will be Banned or Harmed.

telmel Aye it's not gonna end in any cats banned from anywhere or stupid stuff like that, but they will bring in protecting our Wild Cats with new laws and other measures for protecting birds not just from cats either even though cats are the main culprits according to the RSPB people.
But that's a cats nature to hunt.

telmel it wasn't fake news, it was leaked from official government documents, all be it a proposal on the impact cats have on the environment, only reason they have backtracked is because of the outrage

martinlufc5637 It's Fake News!
It's from a Document from Scottish Animal Welfare suggesting that restrictions be put on Cats to prevent them interbreeding with Wild Cats and killing Birds. NOT a Government Document.
There Was NEVER a Policy to Ban Cats by the Scottish government.
The First Minister Said that Straight away.
Stop spamming rubbish.

Well I won't be treating my girls like prisoners cats at present have the freedom to roam how can you possibly expect a cat to suddenly be in the house 24 hours a day my girls don't even use litter trays and they would refuse to use them if I forced an attempt this is just absolutely ridiculous there are better things to be doing than pick on cats for goodness sake!!

My cats like their freedom and they’ll get out even if you tried to keep them in. Good luck to them with that
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